Disclaimer: Insert your own damn disclaimer.

I'm so sorry! I got kicked out of my house by my dad a couple weeks ago, the day before I had planned to set everything aside for writing! Things have been crazy since then and much less than enjoyable, but they're sorta settling down again. This thing is totally against me indenting anything. Please review.

Okay, if something in this chapter doesn't quite fit with what's happened earlier in the story, please let me know right away so I can fix it!!! I'm not going to read through the story again, and I can't really remember if I've only had Sephiroth appear the one time or what. I had so many different suggestions with what to have him say to Ansem that I can't remember which one I was following! -smacks forehead-

Kairi shivered, retracing her steps through the castle. She stopped suddenly, spun around, and quickly made her way back down the hallway. Glancing to her left she noticed the eerily familiar painting of King Mickey and his Queen hanging on the wall above her head.

She must have passed that damn painting eight times.

A few more steps down the hall and she was once again positive she was going the wrong way. And now that Ansem wasn't Heartless anymore, she couldn't even use her keyblade to track which way he was!

She let out an almighty sigh and slid down the wall to the floor. As far as she could tell, the kitchen was hidden, as were the storage closets. Ansem must have thought she'd been kidnapped, with how many hours she had been gone.

This castle hadn't ceased to amaze her even with all the hours she had spent trying to figure out where she was. It had large doorways in incredible halls, and more gardens than she had ever seen in her life. Though, none of them were as beautiful as the one she and Ansem had come through the door to. The growling of her stomach brought her out of her longing for the garden.

With a groan, she managed to pull herself back to her feet. She jumped almost playfully to the window across the wide hall and pressed her palms against the glass. It was getting dark out, several stars were already visible in the orange and purple sky.

She sighed, remembering Ansem down in the garden. He was probably wondering if she was alright, if he was still alive. A deep pain gripped her chest, the man she loved was bleeding to death in a garden somewhere, probably needing medical attention as she wandered the castle and got lost. What if his wounds had reopened and he was dying from blood loss? She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if he died because she was too stupid to know where the hell she was in this damned castle.

This thought made her blood freeze and her heart pound. She turned away from the window and ran down the vast hallway. She nearly tripped over a mangled chair and stumbled to a stop, glancing to either side.

She felt her senses tingle, looking up and down the hall for any sign of life. A sudden noise from her left made her spin around. Her heart skipped a beat and she crept forward to peer through an open doorway nearby. She moved slowly through the large dining room, amazed at the massive damage this room had received. Broken chairs lay everywhere, and there were many claw marks and scrapes on the thick tabletop.

Another noise caught her attention, and she thought she saw a shadow flash from across the dining hall. Seeing as she was lost, she wasn't particularly fond of the idea of getting in a fight with a Heartless, especially as exhausted and hungry as she was.

She turned quickly and ran back towards the hall, darting through the door and looking over her shoulder to see if the Heartless was following her.

She yelped as she tripped on something and slammed rather gracelessly into Ansem.

She didn't dare move as she caught her breath and stared at his chest in confusion. After a few seconds she shook her head, realizing he had basically caught her. She quickly shoved him away, checking carefully to make sure she hadn't reopened any wounds.

"Are you alright?! What are you doing wandering around?! You need to be resting! You're going to kill yourself if you overdo it!" She pouted angrily up at him, surprised to see him almost smiling.

She opened her mouth to protest some more, but he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and shook his head.

"I have a cure spell of my own, you know. And I got a little worried waiting for you, so I decided to go find some food and see if I could find you on the way. Did you get lost?" He smiled playfully and watched her contemplate whether or not he was healthy enough for punishment.

Her gaze softened after a moment and she pulled on his arm. "Well, if you're feeling so much better, let's go clean you up. No offense, but you look terrible."

He smiled sadly and moved forward, trying to make his slight limp unnoticeable. She led him down the hall and opened the doors she knew led to the guest bedrooms. There was a master bathroom in there, and there should be some sort of first aid kit.

Eventually, she noticed how much pain he was still in and slowed down considerably. Ansem didn't seem to happy at her being careful due to his injuries, but he didn't dare tell her to let him deal with it himself. Despite all the pain, he hadn't felt so good since the short time they had spend in Hollow Bastion together.

They finally reached the master bathroom and Kairi shoved the door open. He watched almost sadly as she made her way around the room, pulling out towels and shampoo. She dug through the closet and pulled out a first aid kit, pulling several things out of that as well before turning back to him and smiling.

"Come on, I can help if you want." She teased slightly. She darted forward and grabbed his arm as he limped into the bathroom.

Her teasing smile turned into a worried pout as she watched him struggle out of his shredded coat. A slight gasp escaped her lips as he pulled his bloodstained shirt off to reveal his bruised and lacerated chest.

She stepped forward and ran a shaking hand over his abused skin. He shuddered under her touch and felt himself blush, biting his lip when she lowered her hand and turned away from him.

"You should rinse yourself off, but be careful not to get any soap in your wounds. I'll go see if I can find anything for you to wear. When I get back, I'll help you wash your hair.." She disappeared out into the hallway and closed the door before Ansem could respond.

He sighed, ridding himself of the last of his mangled and bloody clothing and started the water. He hoped she would return soon, he didn't like this castle very much, he found it excruciatingly empty. He had become so accustomed to her being around.. Besides, if the Heartless managed to find him, he was defenseless.

Kairi knocked at the bathroom door, clutching the thick black material in her arms. "Ansem, I found some of Cloud's sweatpants in his room." She said softly as she turned her head away and opened the door to hand them to him.

"Thank you." he whispered, taking the pants and quickly putting them on. He opened the door and let Kairi back in.

She smiled shyly at him and stepped inside. "Cloud's always forgetting things when he stays here.. I tried to find you a shirt, but he didn't have any in his room and I figured you'd get angry if I was gone too long." She laughed quietly. "If you want, I can go check Leon's room later, I bet he left something."

Before Ansem could really react, Kairi shoved him forward gently and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Come on, let's wash your hair. I think it's going to turn pink if we leave this blood in it too long!" She joked, helping him brace himself against the side of the bathtub.

She smiled to herself as she ran warm water over his snow white hair. She gently rubbed shampoo into it, and more than once, had to check and see if he had fallen asleep. He didn't say a single word the whole time she was washing his hair. He didn't even complain when her arm got tired and she leaned on him for support. She gently rinsed the lavender conditioner from his hair and reached for a towel. He shifted slightly when she dried his hair, but remained perfectly quiet.

After a few minutes, she finished with the towel and grabbed a hairbrush. She turned him around so she could sit on the edge of the bathtub and brush his hair. The conditioner had made it very soft and silky again, but she still winced as she dragged the brush through several knots. But still, he said nothing, and more or less appeared to be enjoying the experience. When she was done, she crawled around and looked at him, satisfied that he was finally clean.

After a second, she blinked, looking him up and down again. He was leaning with his back to the bathtub and his elbows rested on his knees. His hair hung loosely around his face and his bright green eyes stared back at her.

"Wow, Ansem, you look just like Sephiroth.." She said, regretting it instantly as he looked away from her.

She lowered her gaze. "You two are related, aren't you?" She asked quietly. When he didn't answer, she leaned forward and rested her hand on his arm.

"I don't hold it against you, I just want to understand what's going on.." He caught the hint of sadness in her voice and looked up at her.

"Yes, we're related.. Sephiroth is my father's younger brother. After my father's death, Sephiroth thought it was only fair that he should get the crown in my place, seeing as I was much younger than any previous king Hollow Bastion had known."

"So what happened?" Kairi urged when he didn't continue.

Ansem sighed, "The decision was left to the people. Unfortunately for Sephiroth, his evil intentions were more apparent than he thought. I was chosen instead, and Sephiroth disappeared less than a year later."

Kairi looked away, reaching for the first aid kit and pulling out what she needed. She began cleaning his wounds and dressing them. He winced as she applied the bandages and made sure they were tight enough. She gave him a small smile and stood once she was finished.

She reached both hands out to him, "Come on, I'll help you to your room."

He hesitated before accepting her hands, and was surprised by her strength. She pulled him somewhat easily to his feet and supported some of his weight over her shoulder. Moments later, she helped him into an unused bedroom and helped him sit down on the bed.

He nodded gratefully to her and smiled. "Goodnight, Kairi. Thank you, for helping me.." He whispered.

She gave him a gentle hug and returned the smile. "You're welcome, goodnight." She turned to leave, but hesitated. Spinning around quickly, she gently kissed him on the cheek again and left.

After closing his door, Kairi began toward her own bedroom. She paused outside her door, however, and instead of going inside, she continued down the hallway to the garden she knew was outside her bedroom window.

It was a beautiful night, crickets could be heard all around the shadowed garden. There was a gentle breeze every so often, and Kairi found it very relaxing after such a stressful day. The moon lit the lawn with a faint glow, and Kairi stepped forward and spread herself on the dark grass.

She sighed happily, inhaling the fresh, crisp night air. Gazing up, the stars were visible, filling up the sky above the castle. Watching silently, a single star flashed brightly in the sky and disappeared. This caused Kairi to bolt back up, eyes widening at what she had just witnessed.

A tear rolled down her cheek. How could she have forgotten how serious the situation really was? That single world disappearing reminded her of the horrors that her friends might still be facing. All at once the weight that had been lifted from her since she and Ansem had arrived at the castle seemed to come crashing back down on her. Leaning her head forward, she buried her face against her knees and whimpered. The whimpers slowly became gentle sobs, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She barely even noticed as the strong arm wound itself around her shoulders. Slightly startled, she looked up into his shining green eyes.

"Sephiroth.." she whispered, not even bothering to maintain eye contact. If he wanted her dead, there was nothing she could do to stop him.

But instead of quickly dispatching her with his sword and taking her keyblade, he knelt in the grass beside her.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly, looking back up into his face.

He smirked evilly, "How are you and my little nephew getting along?" His arm tightened around her shoulders as she stared defiantly at him.

"Just fine, thank you." She said almost haughtily. She looked away from him to stare up at the starry sky.

Her blood almost froze at the deep laughter. He brought his hand up and stroked her now exposed throat. Her eyes widened in fear and she gasped lightly, shoving his hand away and trying to shuffle away from him.

She groaned in fear as he tightened his grip on her even more and held her still.

"Don't worry," He laughed softly, "I only came to talk to you."

"About what?" She almost growled as he moved closer and leaned on her.

"I have something that you're going to miss." He whispered in her ear.

She gave him a questioning look, one which shifted to horror as he drew a single shuriken out of his pocket. He held it over her left cheek and smiled.

"What did you do to Yuffie..?" she choked out, fear etched into her words.

Instead of receiving a response, Kairi watched as he took up her own hand and pressed the shuriken into her palm. She grimaced in pain as her hand was tightened around it, several shining drops of blood falling onto the grass.

Sephiroth grinned, bringing her hand up and licking the blood from her wrist as she stared at him. Something caught her attention off to the side of the garden, but when she tried to turn her head in that direction she felt one of Sephiroth's gloved hands move up to her neck and hold her still.

Without so much as a warning, he pressed his lips forcefully against hers. Her back stiffened at his actions and she growled in anger. However, at the signs of her discomfort, he simply pressed against her harder and forced her mouth open.

All at once, he released her and stepped away, laughing to himself.

"Leave her alone, Sephiroth. She's been through enough for one day." Ansem's low hiss sounded from directly behind Kairi.

"Sorry, Ansem. I didn't mean to intrude on your territory." he said jokingly, stepping away from them and heading toward a dark portal. He turned and gave them one last smirk before stepping into the darkness and vanishing.

"What are you doing out here..?" Kairi asked softly, watching as Ansem lowered himself onto the grass beside her.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought it might help to watch the stars for a while. Then I saw you out here, but Sephiroth was standing behind you. I didn't exactly know what to do, so I just came down here to watch in case he tried anything." He answered quietly.

Kairi sighed, subconsciously resting her head against his shoulder. He reached down and picked up her hand, tossing the shuriken onto the lawn and examining the wound. It hadn't cut her hand very deep, it would be healed in less than a week, he determined.

"We should go inside and get something for your hand." He gave her a serious look and began to stand up.

He was surprised when she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to her. "No, please. It doesn't really hurt, I'd rather just sit out here with you.." She said.

He gazed at her for a moment before standing up. "I'll be right back, then." He said before he turned and disappeared in the shadows of the garden.

True to his word, he returned several minutes later with the necessary first aid supplies. She watched in silence as he gently cleaned her hand with hydrogen peroxide and blew on it. Once he felt satisfied that she wouldn't die from infection, he wrapped some gauze over it and bandaged her hand. When he was finished, he placed a kiss over her injury and released her.

She couldn't help but blush as she looked up at him. She leaned into him again and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Oh, I forgot to find you a shirt." She mumbled into his shoulder. "Sorry.."

He laughed, "I don't mind."

They sat in silence for several minutes, listening to only the chirping of the crickets and the rustling of the occasional wind.

"Can I ask you something?" Kairi whispered, looking up at him. He nodded. "How do you know Arashi?"

He was quiet for a moment before replying. "I assume you already know she was a resident of Hollow Bastion," Kairi nodded at this, "I was engaged to her older sister, Ame."

"What happened?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. She came to me nearly a week before Hollow Bastion was overrun by the Heartless, and told me she didn't want to marry me anymore. She didn't say anything else, she simply turned and walked out of the door."

"Oh, what happened to her?" Kairi asked, blushing when she realized how rude it must have sounded.

"She's dead.." Ansem sounded regretful, so Kairi didn't want to press him for more information.

After a few moments, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulder and he hugged her rather sadly.

"You know, it's probably not a good time, but back in Hollow Bastion.. I was serious when I said I love you.." Kairi said softly to him, biting her lip. That wasn't what she had meant to say, but it was what had been plaguing her mind all night.

Ansem sighed. "You're too young to know for sure.." His words hurt both of them, and he slowly stood. He didn't even look back at her as he made his way back into the castle.

He had just reached his bedroom door when Kairi's running footsteps could be heard down the dark corridor. Instead of going inside, he stood facing his door and waited for her. He knew he shouldn't have, but something inside of him honestly wanted to talk to her about it.

She came to a stop beside him, panting lightly from more than just the run.

"Ansem, please, I-"

"I told you, Kairi, it can never work." he turned from his door to look into her eyes, startled to find that the deep blue orbs flashed a challenge.

"Do you love me?" Ansem sighed, running a hand through his hair. They were going in circles with this.

"Yes, I do.." He said quietly, afraid of where she was taking the conversation.

"And I love you, so why exactly won't this work?" She was starting to get truly angry with him.

"You're only seventeen, you're too young to know if you're in love!" he hissed.

Kairi angrily stomped her foot. "I'm a Princess of Heart, I think I'm pretty damn sure of what I'm fucking feeling!!" She shouted, eyes welling with tears.

He was slightly taken aback, he couldn't remember a time when Kairi had truly cursed at him.

"So tell me, why won't this work?!!" Tears were streaming openly down her face now.

"Because I'm going to die, Kairi! You must know this already, so why do you wish to press this matter?!" He felt sorry for shouting back at her, but he was confused.

Neither of them seemed to know exactly what to say, so he reached forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Kingdom hearts may have reversed a lot of what the Heartless did to me, but some things simply cannot be reversed. I know you can sense this, especially with your keyblade.. But with my ties to the darkness, I can not survive this way… This war will eventually claim my life, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

He hugged Kairi tighter as her shoulders shook.

"The worst possible way to hurt the one you love, is to leave them so abruptly. If it means I will suffer even more by sparing you from this pain…" He cursed inwardly as his voice betrayed his determination.

"All I want, is to be with you. If the worlds are saved from Sephiroth's madness, it still means nothing to me if you're not here. If you're doomed to the world of Darkness, then I'll follow you. So please, let me be with you while we still have a chance.." She had buried her face in his chest, and he could feel her tears against his bare skin.

Her words were full of sincerity, she was completely serious. Ansem sighed again, unable to stop himself. He reached down and lifted her chin with his hand. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before he brought his lips to hers in a loving kiss. He sighed in frustration when he pulled away.

"If only we had never met, you could still be with Sora. Safe from all of this.. I'm so sorry." he hugged her again, a tear of his own slipping down his face.

A/n: Yea, well, that was fluffy. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it works. The plot has crashed into place now, so believe it or not, but the story should be moving along a bit faster now. Please let me know what you thought!